Conventionally available are side entry compact valves including a valve ball having integral opposed trunnions rotating in upper and lower trunnion support plates, which plates are supported by the valve body, with right and left valve seats and seals for sealing, and all of which components are inserted and removed from the valve body via one of the side openings of the valve, and which components are held in place during use with a threaded retainer.
The “compact” nature of compact valves generally results from a short or compact valve body having opposed “open” ends each defining a flange closure seat which is engaged by and establishes sealing with a flange closure which may be defined by a flange of a pipe section of the manifold or other piping assembly. Since no other body closure members are provided, the overall length of the valve body is short and compact as compared with the valve body structures of conventional ball valves. Accordingly, the compact manifold ball valves can be installed in piping systems such as flow control manifolds in offshore production platforms where minimal space is available.
One example of a type of side entry compact valve is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,669,171 for a “Compact Manifold Trunnion Ball Valve” which is incorporated herein by reference. The upper and lower trunnion support plates prevent the valve ball from transferring downstream loads to the seals and seats reducing frictional forces between the ball and seals.
However, in conventionally available side entry compact valves generally a single piece retainer is threadably connected to the valve body, wherein such single piece retainer must be rotated relative to both the valve body and the adjacent valve seat with such relative rotation causing wear to the seals between the valve seat and retainer along with the seals between the retainer and valve body.
It has been found that sealing elements in compact valves have a significant risk of becoming excessively worn and/or damaged during valve assembly and/or disassembly. It has been found that relative rotational movement between the valve components and the seals increase the risk of substantial wear and/or damage to the seals.
It would be advantageous to have a retainer both threadably connected to the valve body and concentrically positioned in said body, wherein there is little no relative rotational movement between sealing elements for the valve seat and retainer.
It would be advantageous to have a retainer both threadably connected to the valve body and concentrically positioned in said body, wherein there is little no relative rotational movement between sealing elements for the valve body and retainer.